This past summer saw the highest live event ticket sales in nearly a decade, with two million Australians purchasing tickets, according to Ticketek’s data science and research division, Ovation.data science and research division, Ovation.
The newly released FanDX report data represents over six million tickets sold across various events, including sports, music, performance arts, comedy, family events, and exhibitions. The figures highlights a significant surge in live event attendance, marking a major milestone in the entertainment industry.
The summer figures shattered several records. According to the report, more than 370,000 fans attended their first live event, with a significant portion (15%) of these new eventgoers being drawn to international cricket, alongside family friendly productions like Bluey’s World, Sister Act, Beauty and The Beast, Tina Turner the Musical and Laneway Festival which also attracted many first-time fans.
Diverse event share
Sports events represented almost 30% of tickets sold, this being the highest summer share recorded in four years. The sharp increase in sports attendance took some share away from music events but didn’t threaten its leadership, with music events still holding a commanding 49.5% market share of summer audiences. Other event genres, like Comedy and Family events also surged, hitting their highest summer share in a decade.
Compared to all events across the year, Summer 2024/25 experienced significant jumps in female participation (up 6% compared to the yearly average), the 18 to 24 age group (up 48%) and, fans of Indian background jumped into the summer action, with their activity up 21% compared to any other time of the year.
Securing tickets in advance
The report noted that fans were purchasing summer event tickets at an average of 118 days in advance, slightly down from 124 days in the previous summer. The long sales lead times reflect fans’ desire to secure their plans early, avoiding clashes with the busy holiday and Christmas/New Year schedules.
In Summer 2024/25, the average ticket purchase was $242, just behind the previous summer’s $261. Gen Z spent the most, averaging $256, followed by Gen X at $244 and Millennials at $238.
Baby Boomers dominate summer sports, but younger generations are more active in live music events. However, Baby Boomers have the highest engagement in performing arts, with 32% attending events like musical theatre, up from 26% in summer 2023/24. Their participation in performing arts has significantly increased.
Postcode hotspots
Fans in NSW and Victoria were the most active across the nation with attendance up 9% and 7% respectively above their yearly averages.
In NSW, the postcode hotspots for event goers included Kellyville and Liverpool in Sydney’s west and Gosford on the Central Coast. In Victoria, residents of Melbourne city were the most active, alongside those in Cranbourne and Hoppers Crossing.
Cameron Hoy, TEG’s chief operating officer and head of global ticketing, said: “Ticketek’s FanDX analysis powerfully reaffirms that live experiences are an irreplaceable and deeply valued part of our lives—now more than ever for a growing number of Australians. Audiences are turning out in greater numbers, embracing a wider variety of events, more often, driven by a level of emotional connection few other experiences can match.”
“With ticket sales rising and fan engagement reaching new heights, the future of live events in Australia has never looked more vibrant or promising.”
Ben Jenkins, NBL EGM marketing, said” “The NBL has broken the all-time record in attendance as we remain the fastest growing sports league in Australia. There were 55 sell-outs across the season, with a total of 1,135,135 people attending games throughout the regular season and finals, which surpassed the previous record that stood for 31 years, and this season was achieved in 40 less games,”
“We’re grateful to our partners like Ticketek and the relationship we have. Ticketek plays a crucial role in driving ticket sales, helping the league with the use of data and insights with the TEG/Ovation platform to highlight the incredible success of the season.”